RSS Events from ALA Midwinter, Seattle, WA 2013

RSS had a number of discussions and events at the Midwinter in Seattle. Below are links to the handouts, presentations, and more!

New Tech for Reference: from the reference interview to roving reference, challenges, benefits and best practices / MARS Professional Development Committee & RSS Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee

If you missed the "Just Ask" discussion forum at Midwinter, you can still help create a vision of both reference librarians and reference services that will assist RUSA in advocating more effectively for the support and development of quality reference services.

Lucia Castillo provided a very informative and interactive lively session on the program used in Canada to assist young families with social skills and engaging with the Spanish Speaking community. Vancouver is thriving with a variety of culture and languages. Less than 3% are Spanish Speaking and they all attend the Mother Goose program despite the distance they may need to travel.

Shrinking budgets, staff cuts, competing demands, impatient patrons; it all has an impact on staff morale and the quality of service provided by librarians everywhere. Gather with colleagues to discuss the issues faced, as well as potential strategies for managing unhappiness and distress in the workplace from the perspectives of library administration, peers, and the individual librarian. Moderator: Virginia Cairns

Unemployment is still above 8% in many states. How do you work to help those in need of employment or those wishing to change careers? How do you use limited resources to help the most people you can? How do you interact with other groups and institutions (such as one-stop centers or campus career offices) working with the same community? What are the most valuable resources the library has to offer job seekers? What are services the library does not/cannot offer job seekers? Are there ethical issues in offering assistance to job seekers?